In the United States, 143 solar companies joined to coordinate efforts to ask for fair rules and predictable processes. They’re aiming at the Federal Government (especially the congress) because, according to the industry, a memo from the Department of the Interior (Dol) from July 15 has created an almost total brake to permits when Dol gets involve, even in minor consultations.
That scope would include routine reviews, like those related to the laws of Endangered Species and Migratory Birds. This creates uncertainty, because investments are paused and creating delayed projects across the country. Companies are not looking for privilege, they want equity and administrative consistency be able to progress with clear and stable rules.
Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA, explained: “While the solar industry values the continued bipartisan engagement on permitting reform, the current status of the blockade is ‘unsustainable.’”
Why did 143 companies speak?
The coalition sent a joint letter to congress leaders with two specific requests: to fix the uncerntenty and to ensure that reviews will not discriminate because of energy source. Their argument is that, in order to invest, they need clarity. “Businesses need certainty in order to continue making investments in the United States to build out much-needed energy projects. Certainty must include a review process that does not discriminate by energy source.” They expressed.
The companies claim that agencies that implement the DoI directive are being interpreted so widely that, in reality, permits for any project in which the DoI is involved are suspended, even if the project is mainly private and involves consultation.
The letter also demands for a specific remedy: “We urge Congress to work with the Department of the Interior to address the unduly discriminatory and unprecedented government overreach, by revoking the July 15th memo.”
What SEIA says about it
While the solar industry appreciates the ongoing bipartisan engagement on permitting reform, Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA, warned that the obstruction’s current state is unsustainable. But why? Because, according to SEIA, regulatory uncertainty puts over 500 pipeline projects at risk. The country’s need for electricity capacity is delayed, local contracts are cooling off, and schedules are slowed down because solar projects are delayed.
If the DoI’s regular involvement causes the solar industry to become nearly paralyzed, the board will tilt, billions of dollars in private investment will stall, and communities will lose out on job and development opportunities. The nation must install solar on a national scale while producing energy consistently in an environment of international competition. A consistent, impartial review procedure is necessary for that.
What’s left for solar energy in the U.S.?
The industry’s basic position is that all energy sources should be handled fairly, and the approval procedure need to be transparent, reliable, and on time. The alliance is not collaborating to construct a single, massive, government-backed project like they are doing in China, nor is it trying to build a monopoly worldwide. It is just asking that Congress collaborate with the Department of the Interior to remove what businesses refer to as a de facto blockade and revoke the July 15 memo in order to restore a functional process.
The objective is to prevent routine consultations from becoming an automatic stop sign, not to avoid environmental review. There is a big difference. Companies could proceed with confidence—planning projects, hiring locally, and investing in equipment—while still adhering to regulations that protect wildlife and habitats if the process were predictable and source-independent. Will that instantly unlock every project that has stopped moving? No. However, a rational, methodical approach would take the place of uncertainty.
That kind of certainty is important for a sector that affects long-term economic health, job growth, and energy reliability.